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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26337244">Rabbit Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/radiantsaber/pseuds/radiantsaber'>radiantsaber</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, eda and lilith "get along" shirt but the owl house is the get along shirt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:55:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,600</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26337244</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/radiantsaber/pseuds/radiantsaber</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two broken sisters attempt to mend the tears between them, and Luz the Human is there to provide the needle and thread.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eda Clawthorne &amp; Lilith Clawthorne, Eda Clawthorne &amp; Luz Noceda, Lilith Clawthorne &amp; Luz Noceda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>275</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Rabbit Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi hello!! this is my first owl house fic and I wrote it all in a whirlwind ever since I finished season 1 and really wanted to write something between eda, lilith and luz, so this fic is post season 1. This was all written on mobile so hopefully it posts okay lmao<br/>pls excuse any inaccuracies I'm kinda just flying by the seat of my pants with some things in here but I hope you still enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The snap of fingers sounded repeatedly in the quiet room of an owl lady.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Snap</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pause.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Snap</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sneer.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Snap</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A low growl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter how many times she snapped her fingers or clapped her hands, nothing would appear. No matter how much or how hard she tried, she couldn't summon objects anymore. It used to be such a simple and easy thing to do, so simple a baby could do it blindfolded. Now? She couldn't even summon Owlbert. How pathetic was that? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She'd try to think up something ridiculous, like a dish towel or...slugs, or something. Try to focus on anything. And with a snap of the fingers, it still wouldn't appear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lying in her nest so often was beginning to make her antsy. She might not be as young as she used to, but gods, she hated feeling like an </span>
  <em>
    <span>old woman.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She's not even that old! She's the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles. She shouldn’t feel so...empty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tries snapping both fingers this time. Still, nothing happens.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With an agitated huff, she falls back into her nest.</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>The sound of the trees rustling in the wind was all that could be heard over another witch attempting to draw a spell circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She preferred to do it alone, it was probably best that way altogether. That made it even more difficult. But she still tried, again and again, only to watch her blue spell circles crumble in the air in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like everything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She balled her hands into fists against her lap, glaring down at the grass beneath her. She sat on the edge of the cliff behind the Owl House, alone, trying to see just how weak her powers had become. It was hard to believe. But every time she tried to draw a glyph, it would dissipate every time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked back up, eyes out on the sea. She wondered about her sister. Wondered if she was handling the abrupt lack of power better than her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She always was the stronger one, in every sense of the word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lilith?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She startled, jolted from her thoughts as she turned around to find the human looking at her from a distance. A flat, neutral look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Dinner's ready." She says. And then she disappears back inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a sigh, she, too, stands from her spot to follow the human back into the house.</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>Luz the Human watches the two sisters maneuver around each other. Trying to exist in the same space, but also trying to ignore it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Eda can't kick her out because...she still sees her as her sister,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thinks one day, while watching Eda cook. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But she doesn't want to talk to her, either. They're stuck. I would be, too.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She purses her lips thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The telltale creak of the stairs leading to the second floor is heard. But it's slow, the creaks are long. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is that Lilith? Is she trying to be stealthy?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can hear you trying to sneak, Lillith," Eda says, and the creaks stop. She doesn't turn her gaze from the bowl of pancake mix in her arms. "Those stairs make it impossible."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a silence, and then more creaks as the footsteps approach and Lilith steps into the doorway, face tinted slightly in embarrassment. Her hair looks a little frayed and her dress rumpled. Eda finally looks at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Have you been sleeping in those same clothes since we got back?" Eda asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I…" Lilith looks away, raises a hand to try and futilely tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I have no others on me, and I cannot summon my belongings anymore."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glances to Eda. Eda stares. It's hard to read her expression from this angle. Eventually, she sighs loudly and dramatically, just like herself, and waves the spatula in Lilith's direction as if to dismiss her before she turns back to her task. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I should have some spare clothes. They’re not up to your hoity-toity standards but they're comfortable." Eda finally responds. "I'll see if I can dig them out after breakfast."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith clutches her hands together in front of her and bows her head. "...Thank you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, yeah."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz, for once, remains silent.</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>There's an uncomfortable, tense air in the house now ever since they returned from the castle. Now none of them really have any place to go. As Luz thought, Eda can't bring herself to kick Lilith to the curb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she's angry. She's </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> angry. Luz has never seen her like this. Eda is usually very blunt with her thoughts and opinions, she's very expressive and isn't apologetic about it. But now that Lilith is here, and with the knowledge they now have...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The atmosphere has shifted, now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a lot to process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Emperor. Their fight at the castle. Their loss of magic. The now-shared bond they have with Eda's curse. The fact that Lilith tried to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz. That </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the one who cursed Eda, after all these years. Luz can't really go back to school, now. Lilith can't go back to the castle. Eda most likely can't be seen in public anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz lies in bed, trying to go over it all again. There's so much of it. Thinking about it too much makes Luz's head hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King rolls over in his sleep and gives a tiny little whine and kicks his feet. Luz smiles. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He's dreaming.</span>
  </em>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>Luz watches in muted fear and clutches King to her chest while the two witches break out into an argument. They're frequent, and usually caused by Eda being the instigator, as she usually is. Sometimes it's over mundane things, and the arguments don't last very long. More of a spat than anything. Other times...well, Eda usually tells Luz to go upstairs so she can't hear them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was only trying to </span>
  <em>
    <span>help</span>
  </em>
  <span>--"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right now, your help is unwanted. You don't get to police me in </span>
  <em>
    <span>my own home</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Edalyn--!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda cuts the conversation short and they split off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The night is long, and Luz knows Eda is awake. She finds her sitting on the cool stone of the back patio, a mug of tea in hand. A closed book sits in her lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can't sleep either, huh?" Eda says as Luz approaches. She carries a sleeping King in her arms, cradled like a baby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I just wanted to check on you." Luz smiles sympathetically at her. Eda returns it with a lopsided grin that doesn't meet her eyes. She stares ahead as the moon shines bright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"'Preciate it, kid, but I'm fine. You, however--it's way past your bedtime."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Pfft, bedtime? What's that? I’m a teenager! We’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>creatures of the night.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Luz jokes as she goes to sit down next to the witch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda's grin changes, tired but amused. "Bedtimes are very much a thing no matter what world you're in." Luz giggles at her. A beat of silence passes before Eda speaks up again with a sigh. "...Sorry about earlier. Didn't mean for you to see all that. Is that's what's keeping you up?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looks down at King. "Kinda…I guess it's a mixture of everything, really."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. I get that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think…" Luz chews on her lip, trying to find a way to word her thoughts without being insensitive. "Sometimes, I think...you're being too hard on Lilith."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda blinks at her in surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But, I--I can't bring myself to tell you to stop. Because I'm…I'm still angry at her, too. But...I mean, I’m glad she brought you back, but..." Luz fumbles with her words, curls her arms inward to bring King closer to her chest. "I don't usually stay mad for long. I try not to hold onto it. I don't like feeling that way all the time. I dunno if that's a good thing, heh."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda taps the knuckles of her free hand on Luz's shoulder. "Hey. Don't be so hard on yourself. You got roped into some dumb family drama that you didn't ask for." Eda rolls her eyes away, definitely sounding guilty. "Which, again...sorry about that. Didn't think we'd ever end up here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz just smiles at her. "It's okay. I don't mind. We're all in this together now, right?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda hums in response as she sips at her tea, but she doesn't give a verbal confirmation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Right.</span>
  </em>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>King doesn’t know what to make of this whole situation. The easiest and natural solution is to be downright furious with Lilith for taking Eda away and nearly killing Luz. His two most important people! Not that they needed to know that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, she made the right choice in the end. Right? She chose </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> over the Emperor. That had to mean something, right? And it looked like she was trying to do better. Sometimes Lilith would say something petty or rude, and it would set Eda off almost instantly, like a bad habit she couldn’t quite break. And Eda, being Eda, would do the same thing. Ripping on each other was just something they always did, only now it was...a little more different. Eda was usually the one to start a fight, and he guessed she was within her rights to be that way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Eda,” he says. He’s sitting in Eda’s lap while she sits on the windowsill in her bedroom, watches Lilith continue to try practicing her magic outside and failing miserably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm?” She mumbles, clearly lost in thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know, normally I’d say we should send Lilith packing, since she’s our enemy,” he starts, “...but I don’t think Lilith is an enemy anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s that, King?” Eda speaks up, a grin almost immediately replacing her blank stare. “You don’t want me to wreak havoc on her? Luz really turned you into a big softie, didn’t she?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King kicks his feet to scramble out of Eda’s grasp so he can stand in her lap and point at her, glaring. “The King of demons does not get </span>
  <em>
    <span>soft!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aww, but you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> though,” Eda jokes, placing her hands on his cheeks and ruffling the fur under the skull on his head. “See?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Argh! Cease this! This is what I get for trying to be supportive!” He flails in her grasp, utterly futile. “I’ll destroy you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, King, I got the message,” she smirks at him and stops petting, letting him smack her hands away and grumble. She turns back to look out the window, and she raises her eyebrows when she sees Luz now with Lilith, and a stack of papers in one arm and a couple of pencils in the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can see Lilith is clearly uncomfortable with Luz’s presence. Eda doesn’t know if that’s because she feels guilty, or if she’s still trying to get used to being around a weird human teenager. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A human that Eda chose over her own sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda inhales deeply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda?” King speaks. He looks genuinely concerned now, bless him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she finally responds, “I don’t think she’s an enemy either. But she’s going to have to work to keep me thinking that way. People don’t just change their beliefs overnight. They gotta spend time unlearning all the things surrounding them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glances back outside the window, and sees Luz teaching Lilith the first spell Eda taught her: the light spell. Lilith looks amazed as she watches the paper curl up and burst into a ball of light. Luz claps and cheers her, and Lilith looks doubly embarrassed.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re too nice for your own good sometimes, kid.</span>
  </em>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>“Hey, thanks for cooking yesterday!” Luz approaches Lilith one day, finding her once again sitting by the cliff overlooking the beach beside the house. “I actually really liked what you made. It’s been kinda hard for me to adjust to the food in this world, I never know if what’s on my plate is gonna try to eat me instead!” Luz laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looks up at her with raised eyebrows. “Um…” she responds lamely. “You’re...welcome?” She sounds</span>
  <em>
    <span> so</span>
  </em>
  <span> uncomfortable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz only smiles at her. “Maybe sometime you and Eda can cook together? You guys could even show me a thing or two—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not.” Lilith says so abruptly even she looks startled at her own response. She looks away from Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz only stares at her for a moment, frowning. She links her fingers behind her back and stands up straight, looking out at the horizon. She waits a beat before she replies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you should try to make up with Eda.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Really </span>
  </em>
  <span>try to make up with her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith blinks. “Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She makes eye contact with Lilith as she turns her head back to her. She looks like Luz just slapped her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said I think you should—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, I heard you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>human</span>
  </em>
  <span>. What I want to know is what makes you think that is even feasible right now? Eda wants nothing to do with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. But I mean, like...actually apologizing to her? Talking about your feelings?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith knits her brows together. She looks truly bewildered. “Are...are you hungry? Because I’ve heard that humans say and do absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>ludicrous</span>
  </em>
  <span> things when they get hungry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you must have gotten that from a snickers ad.” Luz just laughs. Lilith is not amused. “Is that really such a bad thing, though?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t understand how you see it as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…’cause I know you really feel bad about what you did. That means something, right?” Lilith says nothing, so Luz presses on. “You wouldn’t have done all those things at the castle if you didn’t feel bad, if you didn’t want to change. You wouldn’t have stayed, either. You still care about Eda, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I do—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda’s really hurt. She...she likes to hide behind a face that doesn’t seem to care, but I know she cares a lot.” Luz smiles to herself. “I think, maybe, she still cares about you too. And I think she </span>
  <em>
    <span>wants</span>
  </em>
  <span> you to reach out. Otherwise...I don’t think she’d let you stay here. You know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith blinks again, stunned. There’s a beat of silence between them before she turns back to the horizon. “You are...very bizarre.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz grins and shrugs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was called that back in the human world, too. I’m nobody but me.”</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>“They’re watching us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weh?” King looks over to Eda from the couch. Lilith and Luz also both look up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it...the Emperor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Eda sneers out the window. “Emperor Forkhead has been sending people to hide out from a distance to watch us. Probably sees everything we do when we’re outside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that’s just weird.” Luz replies helpfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighs. “Sorry, kid. I don’t feel comfortable letting you go back to school so soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shakes her head and smiles. “That’s okay. I can still learn from home, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really anything we can do about it right now, anyway.” Eda says as she pushes herself away from the window and heads for the stairs. “They get any closer, though, and I’ll set them on fire. Don’t need magic to light a match.” She says, clearly grumpy today. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gives a sideglance to Lilith. She looks concerned.</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>Normally, Luz would be ecstatic over the idea of a character in the books she reads overhearing a juicy secret that their rival or enemy said out loud to themselves. Oh, the potential! The dramatic backstory reveal! The hidden depths of a stoic character! It’s a perfect setup. Right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not this time. Because this time isn’t fictional.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can hear Eda and Lilith bickering in the kitchen once again while Eda makes dinner. She presses her face to the wall and groans inwardly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I just wanted a snack to hold me over before dinner!</span>
  </em>
  <span> She’s about to turn around and leave until—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t you see that I’m trying?” Lilith pleads, her voice sharp with irritation. “I’m doing my best to make it up to you—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re ‘doing your best’? Ha!” Eda scoffs, and Luz can hear the scraping of the spoon stirring harshly against the metal of the pot. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She’s real mad… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz doesn’t know why she hesitates, but she slowly backs up against the wall to stay invisible and listen more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think that just helping out around the house is gonna make me forgive you for all the crap you’ve pulled on me all these years?” Eda snaps. “That’s not how this works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> work?” There’s footsteps, possibly Lilith trying to move closer. “What do I have to do to prove to you that I know I was wrong? I now share some of your curse, I betrayed the Emperor, I tried to help you and your </span>
  <em>
    <span>human</span>
  </em>
  <span> escape! Was that not enough?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First off, for Titan’s sake, she has a </span>
  <em>
    <span>name</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” the </span>
  <em>
    <span>clang!</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the spoon being thrown into the pot is heard, the stove being turned off, and more shuffling, “her name is Luz. Call her </span>
  <em>
    <span>Luz.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Not ‘human’ and not ‘pet’. If you’re gonna live in my house, you’re gonna see her as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>person.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Second of all, one day, not even just a couple of weeks is going to make up for </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span> of mocking and ostracizing, it won’t erase the confusion and shame I felt when I was younger, never knowing what the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> happened to me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz clutches desperately at her shirt, staring at the ground. She feels awful for eavesdropping, but she’s never heard Eda like this. It feels so personal, and it almost makes her sick. It hurts. She hates how Eda sounds. It’s like she’s been waiting her whole life to get this rant off her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I grew up thinking that something was wrong with me from </span>
  <em>
    <span>birth</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That it was just me, and only me.” Eda’s voice is hard, sharp as a blade, but Luz can hear it beginning to shake in anger. “I was alone, all those years, while you turned into a damn teacher’s pet for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>dictator</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now wait just a minute, you have no idea what I had to go through to get to where I am now!” Lilith tried to bite back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t be serious,” Eda exclaims in disbelief, “you had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>choice</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You had a choice, Lilith, and you turned your back on me. I didn’t get to choose my life. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> did that for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was nothing I could do!” Lilith tries to defend herself, sounding on the verge of tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t even come </span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span> for me! You </span>
  <em>
    <span>left</span>
  </em>
  <span> me!” Eda cries out, and there was a slight crack in her voice. It almost made Luz turn and run back up the stairs. “No, instead you used my curse as a gods-forsaken </span>
  <em>
    <span>insult</span>
  </em>
  <span> while knowing exactly what was wrong with me! Did you ever think about it, even once? Because I hope it </span>
  <em>
    <span>plagued</span>
  </em>
  <span> you all those years like it did me.” There was a beat of silence. “Or is that why you were so adamant on forcing me into a coven? To tell yourself that as long as your goal was noble, it would erase the guilt you felt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was more silence after that. Luz could hear sniffling over the faint bubbling of the contents in the pot on the stove. She heard a faint, but noticeable sob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn,” Lilith gasps, failed at holding herself together. “Yes. Yes...y-you’re right. I—I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> sorry, sister. I—“ more sniffling. Luz can no longer tell which sound is coming from whom. “I’m so sorry. I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorry.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You tried to kill Luz. You tried to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill</span>
  </em>
  <span> her. You tossed her around like she was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>toy</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Eda’s voice still had a wet sound to it, but it was now low and threatening. “You have no idea what that girl has done for me, what she’s capable of. And if anything happens to her, believe me when I say I don’t need my powers to make a mess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know...I know. I—I promise I won’t do anything to her again. I promise, Edalyn.” Lilith swears. There was another sniff from her. “...Maybe there’s nothing I can do to make up for all these years. But...I...I still want to be near you. You might never consider us family again, but—“ Lilith hiccuped in the midst of her crying. “I want to be better. I want to learn. Please...I want to be in your life still, in some way, however small. I know I don’t have the right to ask for your forgiveness, but...I still want you to forgive me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It grew quiet again. Lilith continued to sniffle, and there was a deep inhale and then a shaky sigh from Eda. The pot continued to bubble. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re such an idiot,” Eda responds quietly, “you’re always going to be my sister. But right now...I’m not in a forgiving mood. I can’t. Alright? It hurts like hell, Lilith.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to see you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> see you, before I can even think about trusting you again. Do you understand?” There was no verbal response, so Luz assumes Lilith nods. “You can keep doing what you’re doing. But you need to understand that there’s a rift between you and us, and it’s going to take a while to help close it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I understand. I promise I’ll do better. I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment where neither of them spoke, assumingly trying to steady themselves. Eda sighs sharply this time, and sniffles once. The sound of the spoon is heard stirring again and the stove turns back on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great. That’s a start.”</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>The following night after Lilith and Eda’s latest outburst Luz overheard in the kitchen, she finds herself completely overwhelmed with the emotions from earlier that managed to claw their way into her head. She has been trying to hold it in ever since then, over their very tense dinner—to King’s confusion—and she finds she cannot keep it bottled up anymore. As she’s lying in bed, she can feel the surface bubbling and the coming onslaught of tears as she begins to hyperventilate, so she carefully but hastily worms her way out of her sleeping bag to not disturb King and makes her way to Eda’s room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walks in a stiff and swift stride to Eda’s door and knocks on it. She knows it’s late. She doesn’t care enough this time to stay in her bed and let her thoughts consume her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda opens the door, the perfect picture of ‘who woke me up at three in the morning???’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz—?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz doesn’t answer, and instead leaps forward to shove her face against Eda’s collar and tightly wrap her arms around her waist in a vice grip hug. Eda startles and reactively puts her arms around Luz’s shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, what—?” Eda tries to shut the door behind her and pull Luz into her room. “What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry!” Luz exclaims, and Eda tries to shush her. But it’s futile, and a pathetic sob wracks Luz’s composure. Tears are already streaming down the teen’s face and she can no longer hold it in. “I’m so sorry for everything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What in the hell—? Luz, what’s gotten into you? Are you hurt?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” she responds in a whine, “but </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda blinks several times. Her eyes are wide. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew everything was complicated for you, but I’ve been so busy focusing on myself that I never tried to do anything for you. And when I tried to help you with your curse, I made things </span>
  <em>
    <span>worse</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You’ve been through so much and you hurt so much and Lilith hurts a lot too and I—I—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you were gonna die!” Luz cries pitifully. “I was so angry and scared! I attacked Lilith and I attacked the Emperor, I broke his </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid bird mask</span>
  </em>
  <span>—!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You WHAT—??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then I destroyed the door to my world so he couldn’t have it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stuffs her head back against Eda’s chest and heaves another sob. Eda stands frozen in shock, trying to process everything Luz just told her. She knits her brows together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait...you did </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” She feels like Luz just knocked the wind out of her. She doesn’t even know what to say. “You destroyed the door on </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> side? Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nods against her chest before she pulls away slightly. She stares at the now black gem between Eda’s collarbone. “...it was either you, or the door.” Luz sniffled, hiccuped once. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t just...leave you and everyone else behind like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda just continues to stare in shock. Still trying to get her brain to catch up, she brings shaky hands up to wrap around Luz tightly, one hand on the back of her head to cradle it against her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If this were in literally any other situation, Eda would be completely ecstatic that Luz managed such a feat against the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Emperor</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Maybe when her brain finally stops short-circuiting she can go nuts and maybe throw a party or something to congratulate her with because </span>
  <em>
    <span>holy crap???</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But her mind just keeps rubber-banding back to the last thing she said: he made her choose between Eda or returning home for good. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she picked Eda. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She picked this insane, dark world and an old, worthless witch over going back home, back to her mother. Back to her home, what she was familiar with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All her boasting seemed empty when compared to Luz.</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>Lilith watches Eda and Luz from the porch of the house as they practice the paper magic Luz has. They are...absolutely chaotic together. It was bad enough they almost set a few trees on fire, and then Eda decides to try and mix two of the glyphs together and see what happens. Their behavior is so alike. The longer she watches them, the clearer the picture becomes. How much they care about each other, how much of an impact the human has made in their lives. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. It’s Luz. Not…”human”. It’s Luz. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s difficult to not feel twinges of jealousy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s your practicing coming along?” Luz asks her one day while they all lounge on the couch with several books scattered everywhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are...sufficient, though they could be better. I do not experiment with the runes like you and Edalyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, maybe that’s where you’re stumped!” Luz replies cheerfully. “You should give it a try, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> fun.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>mix</span>
  </em>
  <span> magic—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever tried?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz just continues to smile. “You won’t know for certain if you never try. I know you’ve been stuck with only one kind of magic for a long time, but that’s different now. Also, look at all of what Eda’s accomplished!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Accomplished’,” Lilith says the word as if it amused her. Until she stops and realizes what she’s said. Luz frowns. The witch sighs. “I...am sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those guys in the castle are really full of themselves, huh?” Luz blurts. Lilith feels an instinctive reaction to get defensive coming on, but she manages to stop herself and hold back. “They’re really wasting your potential.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith blinks. Oh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think it’d be so cool to try out new kinds of magic? You can do the same stuff Eda does! You guys would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>awesome</span>
  </em>
  <span> together, fighting side by side,” Luz takes on a dramatic voice, jumps onto the couch and chops a hand through the air, “taking down the Emperor’s goons with long lost magic, the two baddest witches on the Isles!” She finishes with a cheer and almost falls off the couch until Lilith steadies her in a panic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This child is such an utter conundrum to her, but...she thinks, maybe, she’s starting to see why Eda and the others love her so much.</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>“Eda?” Luz calls from the fridge in the kitchen. “We’re gonna need groceries soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh,” Eda groans like a child from the couch; she’s splayed across the couch and has King sitting in her lap, distracted by Luz’s phone, “I swear it’s one thing after another. If I go to the marketplace who knows what’ll happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can go?” Luz offers, sounding completely nonchalant about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you kidding? No,” Eda says instantly, “especially not you. Lord Farthead has always been after me and my magic but </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> actually managed to touch him—which, still damn proud of you for that by the way.” She says with a grin and Luz blushes, giggling to herself. Lilith wants to ask, but isn’t sure she’d like the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can go,” Lilith offers hesitantly. They all look at her, and she suddenly feels very awkward. “Um...well, out of the three of us, I think I am...the least likely...to...cause an uproar…?” She fumbles dumbly, fidgeting with her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody says anything for a moment, until Eda just laughs. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” Luz also shrugs awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can get distracted pretty easily.” She admits sheepishly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not mind,” Lilith says, standing up, “all I would need is a list of the things we require.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want snacks,” King finally speaks, his eyes still locked onto Luz’s phone screen like he’s hypnotized, “lots of ‘em. I want one of those six packs of caramel scrapples—oh!! Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>gross</span>
  </em>
  <span>!!” King holds up the phone to Luz. “Luz!! What the heck is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing!?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz walks over to inspect the phone. She blinks. “That’s a watermelon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It looks </span>
  <em>
    <span>disgusting</span>
  </em>
  <span>. What are those things the person is stabbing it with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those are...soda bottles?? King, are you watching </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad DIY videos</span>
  </em>
  <span>—?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith snatches the list from a snickering Eda and leaves as quickly as possible. </span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>There was a loud rumble in the sky that stretched across the horizon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, shit—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A loud thud rung throughout the house and then the fast stamping of feet—Eda came charging down the stairs and fell in her haste, stumbling gracelessly down the flight and slamming onto the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, shit shit </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit</span>
  </em>
  <span>—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!” Luz exclaims, prying herself from the front window. “Did you hear that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did, crap crap </span>
  <em>
    <span>crap</span>
  </em>
  <span>—“ she scrambled to her feet and flew out the front door and smacking Hooty against the wall, earning an </span>
  <em>
    <span>ow! Ow! </span>
  </em>
  <span>from him, a string of swears follows Eda as she stands out front and watches the trees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith also ran into the room looking frazzled—Luz would have laughed at seeing her in some of Eda’s lounge clothes, but now was not the time. “I heard it! It’s—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Acid rain!!!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Eda howls from the outside. She runs back into the house, her eyes wide and wild. Luz is just a little scared. “Luz, if you have any paint brushes left we need them </span>
  <em>
    <span>now,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I need all the paint you have and the biggest brushes you’ve got. We're gonna have to paint a shield rune on the roof. Go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay! I’m sure I have something!” Luz runs up the stairs without another word to grab her supplies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A drawn shield spell? On the roof?” Lilith questions. “How do we know that will work?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t,” Eda says as Luz comes rushing back down the stairs with a big bag that clinks when it bounces against her back. “But we can’t just sit here. We have to try something! We can’t cast magic like that anymore so all we have left is to improvise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King! We’re gonna need you too!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m coming!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all rush to climb to opposite sides of the roof, with it being so odd shaped they can't make a solid circle, so Eda tells them to draw the glyph individually as she guides them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The faint, but foreboding hissing sound appears in the distance, and Luz almost drops her paintbrush as she gazes out over the trees. She can see the rain making its way towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, god--"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Luz!" Eda reacts almost instantly. She moves from her spot on the roof and leaps over to where the teen is balanced. "Hey, come on, kid, you gotta finish the circle--"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"W-what if I can't do it?" Luz babbles, fear lacing her every word. "What if I break concentration and the spell doesn't work!? My attention span is garbage, Eda!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, kid, listen to me--this is terrifying, I know, but we have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>try.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I'm not vandalizing my own house for fun. Look at me," Eda tilts the girl's head back to face her and holds it in her hands. "Focus on the spell. Stay on it. Don't think about anything else. It's not going to do you any good to worry about what the rain will do to you if you've done nothing at all."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gulps, blinks back tears. She whimpers a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're strong, Luz." Eda says, a little more softly, but even Luz can tell she's also slightly panicked. "You can do this. You have to believe you can, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> believe you can. You have to trust me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sniffles and wipes at her face, clutching the brush in her hands. With a determined huff she nods at Eda. The older witch smiles and ruffles her hair. "Good girl."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda returns to her spot and finds King has helped finish her circle for her. Between Eda, Luz and Lilith, they all touch their designated glyphs and try to concentrate on their spell. Eda had previously told her that the shield spell required concentration, and she closed her eyes so she wouldn’t get distracted and look to her right. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t look. Don’t look. Just focus.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The spell works, and everyone cheers in relief as the house gets wrapped in the golden shield Luz was familiar with. The relief, coupled with the stress she’s felt over the last few weeks, all become too much and she collapses to her knees and cries.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other two witches startle and rush to Luz’s side. Lilith reaches her first. “Luz!? Are you hurt!?” She exclaims as she drops to her knees next to the teen and looks her over in a panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda pushes past her and grabs Luz’s shoulders, smiling down at her. “It’s okay, kiddo, we did it. You did great.” Luz sniffles. Eda turns to glance at Lilith with a knowing grin. “...you shot over here faster than me. You worried?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith blinks at her in surprise, and she suddenly flushes and clutches her hands into fists at her sides. “I—wouldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> be?!” She says, but her words don’t really have a bite to them. “She hasn’t done a concentration spell like that before and—“ turning away from her sister’s shit-eating grin, she goes to climb off the roof, “and </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> need to get back inside!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiles through her tears at her as she leaves.</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>It was hard to keep track of time anymore given that everyone was too wary to go back into town. It felt like being cut off from the rest of the world and only able to gather what they would see on the news. There had been mixed talk among the town about Eda the Owl Lady and her student Luz the Human. Eda was very surprised to see that most of the town was in her favor, while the other half, as expected, was on the Emperor’s side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had to relay all the information about everything to her friends through a group call. She tried her best to keep them as informed as possible about how they were doing, told them some weirdo kept spying on them, and how the sisters were getting along. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s so boring at school without you, Luz,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Willow said with a sad frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I took your high fives for granted!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gus cried and dragged his hands down his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The third caller, Amity, just rolled her eyes alongside Willow. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“More importantly, are </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>you</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> doing okay? I can’t imagine it’s easy teaching...both Ms. Eda </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>and</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> Ms. Lilith.” She asks.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighs. “I’m not gonna lie, it’s kinda been a pain in the butt,” she suddenly hears a yelp from the kitchen and the hissing sound of someone having just burnt themselves. She can’t tell who it was until she hears Eda. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeesh, sis, come on, you gotta keep your hand </span>
  <em>
    <span>out</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the pot, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can’t hear her, but she can imagine the glower on Lilith’s face. There’s a moment where neither say anything, and Luz tenses.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Luz—?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity speaks up, but Luz quiets her by holding a finger to her lips and shushes her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve never actually cooked without using my crystal ball for a guide, have you?” Eda asks, surprisingly gently. And then, like a pendulum: “Did none of those jackasses in the castle teach you how to cook? Did they only train you shoot pretty fire from your staff?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can practically hear Lilith wincing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Eda speaks up again, “I’m not mad. Well, not at you this time. In some walks of life you just have to do things without having a servant or underling do it for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds pretty boring.” King deadpans next to Luz, eyes on her phone again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, I’ll show you how to do it,” Eda says, “the last time you cooked it was fine. But if you’re gonna be on the same level as the rest of us, you’re gonna have to learn to do this the hard way. I’ll help you, alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I—yes. Thank you.” Lilith responds, and Luz can hear a happy smile in her voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz also smiles warmly and looks back at her friends. “It’s hard, but...I think they’ll be okay.”</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>The human is sick. Luz—</span>
  <em>
    <span>Luz</span>
  </em>
  <span> is sick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith has no idea what caused it or how she got sick, or what being sick even entails, but she knows that she’s sick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“L-Lilith?” She drags her feet into the living room one night looking like she’s ready to collapse at any second. Her eyes are baggy and her face is flushed, she’s sniffing and coughing and has a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She looks miserable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith jolts upright from her spot on the couch and watches her carefully. “Luz?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-sorry to bother you, I didn’t—didn’t wanna wake Eda—ah—“ Luz pulls the blanket over her head and sneezes as quietly as she can. There’s a soft </span>
  <em>
    <span>ugh</span>
  </em>
  <span> from her as she pulls the blanket back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-what is it?” Lilith stands up. She’s not sure why seeing the young girl like this freaks her out so much, but it does, and it bothers her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you...make me some tea? I th-think we have some...honey left…” she coughs into her shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith blinks. “Yes,” she scoots around the coffee table and makes her way into the kitchen. She’s anxious all of a sudden. Why does seeing her so sick like this make Lilith on edge?? She has no idea what kind of illnesses humans are susceptible to, or what they can survive. They are so much more fragile than the inhabitants of this world. What if something happens? What if she </span>
  <em>
    <span>dies</span>
  </em>
  <span>—??</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gasps sharply when she notices Luz in close proximity to her. “A-are you okay?” She asks. She looks...so pitiful. “I...I can make it if you don’t want—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Lilith answers quickly, “no, I...I can do it.” She knew how to make tea. She remembered how to. This was fine. Right???</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiles tiredly up at her. “Thank you.” Her voice is so small and crackly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith’s cheeks flushed a little as she moved to turn the stove on. It was still late in the night and the only light they had right now was a few candles to illuminate the kitchen, and they cast a warm, comfortable glow into the quiet of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Lilith gathered the materials she needed she set the kettle on the stove and turned slightly to gather some lemons and honey to add once the water was ready. Luz did not move from her side, and instead dropped her head to the side so it would land on Lilith’s shoulder. She froze immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lilith went stock still. Luz did not remove her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is happening. Why is she touching me?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> “Thank you again,” Luz repeated from earlier. Lilith very slowly, very hesitantly turned to look down at her. Her eyes were closed and she looked content despite the her state. “It means a lot to me. My mom always made me tea when I got sick...Eda’s done it for me once, but, I don’t wanna bother her too much right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith remains still and quiet, unsure of what to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I making you uncomfortable?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha—“ Lilith shakes herself out of her stunned trance. “N-no. I am...just not used to this, I suppose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz just smiles. “Well, you’re one of us now, too.” She closes her eyes again. “You’re a good person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith isn’t sure what to say. Every time Luz talks to her, she leaves her blindsided. She feels...warm. She doesn’t know how to pinpoint the feeling she has right now, but it helps her relax, and ease into the head resting on her shoulder. The kettle begins to whistle, and she begins pouring the tea. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other side of the kitchen wall, an owl sneaks back up the stairs, out of sight and out of mind.</span>
</p><ul>

</ul><p>
  <span>The sisters are sitting on the edge of the tower that overlooks the Owl House as they look out over the horizon. They can see Luz and King messing around in the yard below while the teen tests out some new spells she learned. Owlbert is nestled in the crook between Eda’s shoulder and her neck. They sit in long, comfortable silence for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been spending more time with Luz,” Eda is the first to speak. She usually is, while Lilith still stews in her guilt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve...been trying,” she admits, “I don’t understand her at all. But...I can definitely see why you adore her so.” She fidgets with her hands in her lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiles so fondly. It makes Lilith’s heart twist. Eda looks so beyond her real age. It’s a permanent reminder of the betrayal she committed. “I hear she managed to wrangle you into watching one of those...uh…” she gestures, trying to think, “...</span>
  <em>
    <span>videos</span>
  </em>
  <span> on her phone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fascinating,” Lilith says, raising her brows, “there’s so much information and knowledge stored on such a small little box—Luz informed me that the ‘people’ inside are not actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>inside</span>
  </em>
  <span> the box and simply recorded themselves for entertainment. It’s—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks over to Eda and sees her looking directly at her with the biggest grin on her face. Embarrassment takes over again and she shrinks a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...you think my rambling is amusing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda rests her chin on her knuckles. “Oh, I do. But...it’s a nice change of pace. I’m…” she glances off to the side. “I’m glad to see you’re loosening up a little.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looks down at her hands in her lap. “Being outside of the castle has made me realize that...there are a lot of things I know nothing about.” She admits, with a little bit of shame in her tone. “Being with you, and Luz...it’s opened my eyes.” She looks back up at the horizon, determination on her face. “I want to keep my eyes open. It is still difficult to put aside all of the things I was taught while you were gone. I think…Luz was right. Being in there...was more of a prison. I just didn’t know it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she looks back to Eda, her resolve nearly crumbles. Eda has a look of understanding, and gratefulness. It was so unlike her to look at Lilith that way, it was almost alarming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve changed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s only two words. But it felt like a ripple in her core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...you think so?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda nods back down to where Luz is lying on the ground and drawing multiple glyphs on scattered sheets of paper. “Luz thinks so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith bites her lip. “...do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda raises her eyebrows a little. She thinks about it. “...being without you all those years felt like there was a hole in my chest. I always thought it was just me. That because I was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster</span>
  </em>
  <span> you wanted nothing to do with me anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith clutches her hands to herself tighter and aims to say something, but Eda silences her with a raised hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Most of our conversations for the last decade or so have been petty jabs and insults towards each other. So...I dunno. I think we’re getting somewhere.” Eda laughs, then. “Having Luz around has changed this house. She’s changed </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith feels herself smile a little. “I can tell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t go telling her that, she’ll use it against me.” Eda points at her, and Lilith can only laugh. It’s contagious, and it spreads to Eda. Eventually, they settle back into comfortable silence for a while, before Eda speaks up again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you stayed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looks back at her in shock. Eda doesn’t look at her, and is smiling ahead while she idly scratches Owlbert under his beak. Lilith feels tears burn at her eyes, and she jerks her head away to let her hair cover her face so she can wipe her eyes before the tears fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiles to herself, then, and looks back up to follow her sister’s gaze to the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am, too.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading!! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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